Fandango Catering Offers Mod Cocktail Parties and Tips

One of our clients' favorite party themes is the mod cocktail party.  We offer many variations on this theme and this theme is always a hit. 

What's a mod cocktail party? Definitions abound, but here is ours:

A mod cocktail party incorporates--

• Mod shapes in food and decor, including serving pieces
• At least some food that's retro trendy, reminding guests of the great mod "fun" period of the 60s and 70s
• Perhaps some retro-trendy beverage pairings

Mod shapes in food and decor and retro-trendy food
Here we're thinking skewers, lollipops, an updated shrimp cocktail, updated stuffed mushrooms or  cocktail sandwiches perhaps, and squares, rounds, and triangle shapes in finger foods.  The latter would be things like mini pizzas, puff pastry shapes, crostini, polenta, savory galettes, frittatas or quiches, or other finger foods that lend themselves to being cut into small squares, circles, and triangles.  Our chefs like to pile up skewers for an edgy look or lay them spoke fashion on a round or rectangular tray for a bit less edgy presentation.We avoid replicating things like olive-covered cheese balls untless they're excellent, imaginative riffs on 60s cocktail food.

Decor: very modernist serving pieces in chrome, bubble or wavy glass or porcelain, or white porcelain in interesting shapes like long boats or rectangles. 

If furniture and so forth (even rented) is also mod, that plays it up more. Cocktail napkins in gray, black, red, color block, tangerine, teal, or bright yellow, depending on the colors of your event space.  If using flowers, orchids or hibiscus add a fun mod touch--and this theme is tongue-in-cheek, so why not have fun with it and enjoy it?

Retro-trendy beverage pairings
Punch is very hot this year and you can have alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions in punchbowls (better than bev dispensers for punch).  Or offer some retro-trendy mixed drink pairings, including:

• Martinis
• Vodka gimlets
• Mai tais
• Old fashioneds
• Frozen/blender margaritas
• Rob roys,
• Sidecars
• Manhattans
• Tom Collins

Add to the fun with martini glasses or other specialized glassware, which you can easily rent.

And to take it to the next fun level--lay out chocoalte cigarettes, optimally in a cool cigarette box or a crystal dish--so fun and mod.

Warmly,

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

If using flowers

Fandango Catering Offers More Ideas for Successful Events

Today we offer 6 more ideas for making your parties and events more successful--better food and bev presentations, more welcoming and comfortable for guests, etc. 

Successful events mean that everyone enjoys the food and beverages and the decor.  Whether your event is small or large, there are a few things you can do to improve how your offerings look and how easy it is for guests to feel welcome.  Below, some tips.

If you have a large or large-ish group and are using a food buffet, avoid long lines either by using a double-sided buffet or two different buffet/food station tables close together.  You can also cut down on lines by having servers pass trays of food as well as having a buffet--though not all hot food, especially, works when served from a passed tray (but many upscale events do any hot food, from sliders and hot dim sum to entrees on plates, passed on trays; the trick is to keep bringing out trays of hot foods every 10-15 minutes so the food doesn't get cold).  And if you lay out desserts in another room, make sure servers pass those also so you won't be left with a bunch of uneaten desserts.  Lately clients in planning meetings have told us they prefer station-like event setups with desserts near the savory food so whomever wants to eat savory and dessert at the same time can do so--and you'd be surprised how many people like to do this!

Speaking of buffets, be aware that calling tables to a buffet is VERY time consuming and can irritate guests, who become impatient or feel "lazy" about getting up to serve themselves when they're quite comfy in their chairs.  A buffet line takes around 25 minutes for 100 guests to pass through it; calling tables to a buffet takes 45 minutes to an hour for 100 guests to go through.

For a smaller cocktail-type event, you can create a wonderful, easy presentation if you buy a few large blooms like gerbera daisies or hibiscus or gardenias or camellias, cut off the blooms near the stems so they lay flat, and lay one large bloom on each serving tray; then in the other end of the tray lay long chive strands, stacked.  Or lay two large blooms on a tray in opposite corners.  See how easy? Moderne and stylish.

For a spring or summer beverage table or bar, lay tropical leaves on a tray, then put filled wineglasses or flutes on top of the leaves.  Not into tropical? Put a small bowl of good chocolates or cookies on the tray with the filled glasses, or even just on your bar or beverage station table for guests to enjoy with our without your wines or champagne.  It's a way of lifting the bar to the next level, the way good hotels put small gifts for guests in their rooms.

Another easy food presentation idea--Unusual small produce (from better food emporiums or farmers' markets) such as champagne grapes, crabapples, Seckel pears, mini eggplants...Pile in the center of your serving tray or, easier, put in a large martini glass in the center of your serving tray.  Works for finger foods, dinner foods (the latter if you aren't using chafing dishes), even mini dessert displays.

Guests really DO like to sit down--We see people wanting to skimp on seating at their event.  If you do this you'll see that people will leave faster then if you provide seating for at least half the guests.  At a party we catered the hostess put many small tables with chairs in the backyard, lit with tealights in holders, and we passed trays while her bartender tended bar out in the yard too--her guests enjoyed sitting and table-hopping so much that they stayed until quite late! On the other hand, at a wedding we catered several years ago the couple decided to rent only a few tall cocktail tables and chairs and about half the guests left after around 30 minutes of a three-hour reception.  Guests (especially if wearing high heels) really do like to sit down at a an event!

Warmly,

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

Fandango Catering Offers 6 More Ideas to Make Your Cocktail Party More Interesting

As cocktail parties are all the rage now, today we offer 6 more ideas to make yours distinctive and successful.

 

• Have someone (a hired chef or server or friend or relative) pass trays of food--We guarantee that your guests will eat the food more readily if someone circulates among them with a tray of mixed offerings.  Have a food buffet too by all means, but also have someone (or more than one person if your group is large) pass trays of finger foods.
• If any of your food is served with a dipping sauce, also circulate that among the guests--Have at least one server passing a tray of food with the dipping sauce in a small container with a spoon and small plates so guests who want the sauce can serve themselves the food and the sauce on a little plate.
• Have several non-alcoholic options, not just water--Choose from options such as still and sparkling water, sodas, lemonade, fruit juice...It's too boring just to serve alcohol (even various kinds of alcohol) and water.
• Shop for nice cocktail napkins--Please don't put out a hodgepodge of napkins from previous events--this says you can't be bothered and rarely looks good. 
• Have something interesting for your guests to do--Things like a brief reading or display of art or photography or a tour of your home or garden or a garden game or a table where guests can donate to charity--the latter is done all the time at Hollywood gatherings.  But keep any reading, talk, or tour brief, no more than 10 minutes or so.  We recently catered a wonderful party at a lovely private home at which an invited author read from her work for about 5 minutes halfway through and it was very energizing and pleasing to the crowd!
• Set up a separate table or podium as a bar--We cannot emphasize this enough.  Kitchen islands and counters don't make good areas to put a bar at all as there is WAY too much going on with the food and people alway tend to congregate around the kitchen.  Trust us: put a table, even an inexpensive banquet table covered with a nice cloth (to the ground please as true bartenders put all the extra bottles, ice, coolers, and everything else under the bar table so that they're handy but not seen by guests) in an area where guests can flow around the bar table without being crushed.  You'll see how your guests appreciate this! If you really want to dress up your bar table, puddle another tablecloth on top of the table and then put your beverage tub, glasses, etc. on top of the puddled cloth--luxe!

 

Warmly,

 

Kristina

 

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

Fandango Catering Offers 4 Ideas to Make Your Cocktail Party More Interesting

Cocktail parties are very popular this spring and today we offer 4 ideas for making yours more interesting. 

• Showcase a drink--Whether that be a straight liquor like whiskey or vodka or a signature cocktail or a type of liquor in a signature cocktail "bar" (such as different types of mixed drinks made with gin, poured and set out for guests to enjoy)
• Add something decorative to your bar area--This can be greenery or large fresh blooms or a bloom floating in a decorative bowl or decorative paper napkins or colored cocktail glassess--SOMETHING to add color and a sense of festivity.
• Have no fewer than three light bites--Again, no matter how good your liquor is, people will think you're cheap if you don't serve some small/light bites.  Avoid serving just chips and dip! Buy from a reputable source or provider if you don't cook.
• Use a one-minute dress up for your light bites--Buy fresh chives, cut off the very tips, and either stack  them across the middle of your serving tray or stack a few and then a few more in an "X" across the middle of your serving tray, with the light bites arranged on either side if stacked in the middle or in the open spaces of the "X."  Very zen/minimalist and easy!

Warmly,

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

Cocktail Ideas for the Holidays

As we approach the holidays and start planning our gatherings, one way to add distinction to your event is by having one or more cocktails that appeal to your guests.  I said "appeal to your guests" because often such cocktails don't.  Truth is, cocktails with a lot of hard liquor don't appeal to many besides perhaps very young men and women (still in college drinking mode?).

Here are some great cocktail party beverage ideas for the holidays that will please a wide range of folks:

• Bellinis--Remembering our days in NYC, when Chef Jesús would work the Sunday brunch at the Stanhope Hotel where the Bellinis flowed like the proverbial water...Mix 1/3 amt. of Prosecco with 2/3 amt. of peach nectar for the classic Italian Bellini; or, our take on it, which is wildly popular with guests at our events, 1/3 amt. of Spanish cava with 2/3 amt. of imported Mexican peach nectar.  For many, domestic U.S. peach nectar is too sweet, but the imported juicelike Mexican peach nectar is just right for a Bellini.  At one of our events last week several guests mentioned that after tasting a Bellini they no longer want mimosas!
• Striped Mimosa--Pour 2 oz. passionfruit juice in a flute or goblet, then 3 oz. champagne, Prosecco, or cava, then 1/2 tsp. grenadine, pom, or cranberry juice.  Don't stir if you like the striped effect, or shake in a shaker for an iridescent effect.
• Juice Spritzers--Create a cool juice spritzer bar with fresh organic juices and champagne, cava, or Prosecco.  Mix as for a mimosa.  You must try this! And to up the cool factor, put the juices in carafes in a beverage tub with ice, and in another tub put the champagne, Prosecco, or cava, also on ice. 

Set out cool glasses like martini glasses or, trendy now, round or square low tumblers, and mod, monogrammed, or linen on a roll napkins (the latter from MyDrap, for example).  And if any guest wants only any of these juices with no alcohol, no problem.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com

Cool Libation Ideas

As summer winds down (today 103F here in Houston) and you're perhaps planning a party or event, today we want to offer three ideas for cool libations (well, one idea is based on libations).

For some people libations are a non-issue at parties or gatherings;  nothing alcoholic is served or the alcohol that's served are pairings with the food or a signature cocktail is served besided wines and/or beer and a non-alcoholic option.  Nothing more is wanted or needed.

For others, the libations are more important.  If you are in the interested-in-having-a-cool-libation-at-your-event camp, read on!

Here are three ideas for jazzing up your party or gathering that are particularly appropriate for this late summer into early fall period:

• Set up an alcoholic punch buffet--Find cool alcoholic punch recipes at www.barnonedrinks.com or check out The Ultimate Party Drink Book which offers 750 drink recipes.  Choose at least three punches and set them out on a buffet, either in champagne flutes or martini glasses or regular stemware, or how about beverage dispensers or punchbowls or pitchers, even bistro tumblers?  And if you have a variety of different colored punches in your punch buffet, it looks amazing, especially if you pour the punches into goblets or glasses or they are in transparent beverage dispensers or pitchers!
• Make cocktail "popsicles"--We will not take credit for this idea as it came from Fine Cooking originally (Aug/Sept. 2009) but we do it differently in that we can take pretty much any cocktail recipe and freeze it into popsicles rather than concentrating on ones with "food" ingredients like cream or chocolate (though we can do that too).  If you have pop molds it's easy, or if not use small wax-lined paper cups, which peel off easily.  Unmold and pass on trays with napkins (they'll start melting after around 10-15 minutes on the tray) or serve them individually in martini glasses or stemware, which catch the drips.
• Have a regional libation buffet--such as vinho verde, port, and wines from Portugal or a selection of French wines and cocktails from one region of France or a regional American or Belgian craft beer selection...Again, choose at least three libations and maybe put out a little printed card or a chalkboard with info on the selections.  Guests love this!

Whenever you serve alcohol at a party, it's always polite to serve at least one non-alcoholic beverage besides water. 

The above libation ideas can also be served with more traditional wines if you have more traditional folks among your guests, so everyone is happy.

Enjoy!